Tag: Grace Burrowes

Forever And A Duke by Grace Burrowes

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)2 Comments

Forever and a Duke (Rogues to Riches, #3)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Rogues To Riches #3
Publication Date: 11/26/19

Wrexham (Rex) Dorset, Duke of Elsmore is a loving but clueless son, nephew, brother, cousin to his very large family. He loves them all – especially his mother, sisters, and the aunties. He delights in seeing to their welfare and they delight in managing him. He’s noticed some discrepancies in some of his books and has become concerned. His holdings are vast and far-flung and since it is time for him and his sisters to wed, he needs to assure that all is in order. He’s heard that his friend and fellow bank owner, the Duke of Walden has an auditor that can spot an error in a column of figures at fifty paces away – during a rainstorm. So, it is natural for him to ask – nay – beg – for the loan of that auditor to go over the estate’s books.

Eleanora Hatfield has a past – and she does her very best to keep it deeply buried. Life has not always treated her well and she wants – needs – craves – respectability above all else. She’s worked hard to become the well-respected woman she is today. She has a knack for figures and spotting patterns – and she knows every possible con and scheme that can be used to defraud someone. To say that she is invaluable to the bank that employs her would be a gross understatement. So, just imagine her unhappiness and distress when her employer asks her to take on the task of auditing all of the Duke of Elsmore’s accounts. She is not a happy camper and wastes no time telling both Elsmore and Walden. However, she is beholden to Walden for giving her employment when no one else would hire a woman to do what she does – and Walden is beholden to Elsmore – so – there is no way out of the task.

Rex can’t help but admire the feisty, outspoken, confident, straight-forward, no-nonsense, diminutive woman who is asking more and more probing questions about his holdings and his books. Her insight and intuition about what is happening are awe-inspiring and he is more and more curious about her. As he asks questions of his own, he manages to get her to let things about her past slip out – and she intrigues him even more.

Poor Rex was desperately smitten early on and Eleanora was smitten as well, but she was determined to hold Rex at arm’s length. She knew there was no future for them – he was so very far above her station. Rex definitely had his work cut out for him when it came to convincing her they could have a future together.

I always love a good mystery to be included with my romances and this one had a nice mystery. It won’t be much of a challenge for you to figure out who the culprit(s) are, but it is great fun to see Rex come to terms with who it is and what he is willing to do about it.

This was a fun read and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When A Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820)4 Comments

When a Duchess Says I Do (Rogues to Riches #2)When a Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Rogues to Riches #2
Publication Date: 4/2/19
Number of Pages: 384

I thoroughly enjoyed this read that is populated with wonderfully complex, likable and very relatable characters. The writing, of course, is excellent and the plot is well delivered. I had a hard time buying the actual scenario of the plot, but I enjoyed the story anyway.

Duncan Wentworth is the sweetest, most honorable, really, really good man I have read in a long while. He’s totally selfless and helps his family and friends no matter the circumstances, yet he is totally unaware of the high esteem in which they all hold him. He just sees himself as a poor relation. His cousin Quinn, Duke of Walden, has sent Quinn to the Brightwell estate to set it to rights. Brightwell has fallen into disarray since the last duke died and Quinn wants to give it to Duncan – who doesn’t want it. So, Duncan isn’t happy, but he’ll do his very best to do what Quinn wants. Little does he know that things will soon take a turn toward the bright side.

Matilda Wakefield, Duchess of Bosendorf, is a widow who has spent most of her life traveling around the continent with her art dealer father. She’d always wanted a home – a permanent address – and that was why she had married her German duke. Now that he is gone, she is living in London with her father. Well – she had spent all of her life thinking her father was an art dealer, but now she isn’t so sure. She found evidence that he might be a spy for a foreign government – and – her want-to-be fiancé, Colonel Lord Parker, saw her with the document. She can’t take a chance on Parker turning her father in as a traitor, so she takes off with basically nothing except the incriminating document – including no money.

After being on the run for months – just barely surviving, emaciated and half-starved, she ends up on the grounds of Brightwell – just in time to rescue a very handsome man from two poachers. She doesn’t dare tell him who she is or anything about herself, but the offer of a warm fire and a warm meal entice her to at least go to the house with him for a short time.

Duncan knows there is more to the woman that she is admitting. He recognizes the signs and knows that she is afraid and needs help. Something he is only too willing to give. She doesn’t trust him or anyone else – and plans to leave as soon as she can – but, that leaving seems to keep stretching out. They grow closer and closer – and then the villain strikes. Can Duncan save Matilda? If he can, it won’t be easy.

I adored the supporting characters. My favorite was Stephen Wentworth and I cannot wait for him to get his book. He was a genius and a lovely young man who was constantly chafing against his physical limitations and I will absolutely love seeing him get his HEA.

While Matilda’s husband was deceased, she was not the Dowager Duchess. For her to be the Dowager, she would have had to have had a son, grandson, step-son who was the new Duke and also had a wife – otherwise, she was still just the Duchess. This book was also an example of perhaps the author getting stuck on a particular letter for names – we have Walden, Wakefield, and Wentworth.

I certainly enjoyed the story and I hope you will as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews